Spears

[The Skarzs]

The monitors defended Emperor Ublaz's fortress with pikes, though I think that might be the only use of them mentioned.

[James Gryphon]

The first mention of pikes (not the fish) is in Mossflower, by the hares of the Border Patrol. The Redwall wiki claims it was still in use in Martin the Warrior, although it doesn't give any details. I can't think of much besides that; the wiki lists Bluebane from Bellmaker and Cuthbert Blanedane Frunk as having wielded pikes. Cregga also gets a mention there for her 'axepike' (although the description and illustration on her page shows that it was pretty clearly a halberd).

[Lady Ashenwyte]

There were pikes in Mossflower. And I must disagree with you that pikes are good for mounted charges only. If used and protected correctly, even a few pikes could cause mayhem as they are long.

[Hickory]

In Mossflower, BJ clearly remarked that the hare pikes were much longer then the spears of Tsarmina's horde. Pikes are really, in the sense of things, elongated spear with a wider head.

[LT Sandpaw]

Pikes can't really be effectively used in such small scale army's, they are far too unwieldy and incredibly heavy. Massive lines of soldiers were needed to effectively use pikes in general.

[Lady Ashenwyte]

A small army could beat a huge army with pikes by standing in the narrowest area possible and holiding thier pikes down, 'twill cause mayhem.

[Wylder Treejumper]

...Until they get tired from swing around a long pole with a heavy weight at the end...

[Lady Ashenwyte]

You stab with a pike. And there are reserves too....

[LT Sandpaw]

Okay just to clarify the battle of the 300 wasn't three hundred Spartans fighting alone! They had ten thousand Greek warriors with them, The Spartans only fought at the end when the army was surrounded. They were forced to fight to the death and that's why they killed so many Persians fighting to the very last man.
As for the pikes in a hole yes, Sun Tzu made that discovery when he forced his army to stand and fight so they couldn't run. Much like the Spartans did. Pikes were very hard to contest. Unless you had a catapult...

[Lady Ashenwyte]

Okay just to clarify the battle of the 300 wasn't three hundred Spartans fighting alone! They had ten thousand Greek warriors with them, The Spartans only fought at the end when the army was surrounded. They were forced to fight to the death and that's why they killed so many Persians fighting to the very last man.

When was Thermopylae mentioned here?

[Stonestripe]

Another thing to take in to consideration is most of the time both sides usually leave it up to the individual to gain a weapon. Even the long range fighter had a choice between spear, bow, or sling. Even at salamanstron they let the Hares pick their weapon when they join the long patrol. If it was like a paid army that weapons were picked for them then there would be ranks with only one weapon type. So spears may not be everywhere because only a select few chose it as their weapon. Swords arn't even the most popular either. I believe daggers are the most prevalent.

[The Skarzs]

. . . Which brings up another point that using daggers as a primary weapon in battle was not only unrealistic, but it was rather stupid. Yes, against an armored opponent they were good for getting between the cracks of the armor, but when you're fighting against someone with a sword you need a sword or something to get your body away from the blade. Someone using only daggers in a battle would die quickly.

[Hickory]

Unless the wielder was proficient in the throwing of daggers. Like Rasconza.

[LT Sandpaw]

Going into battle with only a dagger is a sure way too die.
It would be like going into a firefight using only a pistol while your opposition is using assault rifles.

Throwing your weapon away is even worse, even if one is skilled enough to hit their targets with the knife that's only one enemy, now you have no weapon. Now without a weapon your chances of surviving in battle just dropped like 90%.

[The Skarzs]

Keeping a dagger as a secondary weapon is a good idea though, because if you get into a grapple you'll need something like that.